Science Fiction & Fantasy Catalogue: May 2018

All the books in this catalogue are new books due for release in May 2018.

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1–2 paperbacks (up to 500g), $7.95

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Uncharted (Arcane America 01)Anderson, Kevin J & Hoyt, Sarah A (creators)
After Halley’s Comet was destroyed in a magical battle in 1759, the backlash separated the entire New World from the Old in an event known as The Sundering. Now, isolated from the rest of the globe, America has become a very different place, where magic works and history has been changed forever. It is 1803 – a new 1803. Young Meriwether Lewis, footloose and intrigued, goes to hear a lecture in St Louis by the venerated old wizard Benjamin Franklin. Franklin’s talk is disrupted by the attack of a winged fire-breathing beast, much like legends from Lewis’ own Welsh heritage. In the aftermath, Franklin tells the young man that he knows of a great, growing evil that lurks in the uncharted Arcane Territories west of the Mississippi. Using his own vast fortune, Franklin commissions Lewis and his own talented partner William Clark to embark on a remarkable voyage of exploration, to meet and document the indigenous tribes, to find a route all the way to the Pacific Ocean – and, perhaps, beyond the magical veil to Europe again – and to stop the growing evil that is filling the American West.Alternate history/fantasy | HC | $46.95

War Storm (Red Queen 04)Aveyard, Victoria
Victory comes at a price. Mare Barrow learned this all too well, when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now, determined to protect her heart – and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her – Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta, once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head. But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart; in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolish everything – and everyone – in his path. War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced? The conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series.YA fantasy | TP | $19.99

Karen Memory (Karen Memory 01)Bear, Elizabeth
Set in the late 19th century – when the city we now call Seattle Underground was the whole town (and still on the surface), when airships plied the trade routes, would-be gold miners were heading to the gold fields of Alaska, and steam-powered mechanicals stalked the waterfront, Karen is a young woman on her own, is making the best of her orphaned state, by working in Madame Damnable’s high-quality bordello. Through Karen’s eyes, we get to know the other girls in the house – a resourceful group – and the poor and the powerful of the town. Trouble erupts one night when a badly injured girl arrives at their door, beggin’ sanctuary, followed by the man who holds her indenture, and who has a machine that can take over anyone’s mind and control their actions. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the next night brings a body dumped in their rubbish heap – a streetwalker who has been brutally murdered. Now in paperback.Steampunk | PBK | $19.99

Stone Mad (Karen Memory 02) (novella)Bear, Elizabeth
A new story about spiritualists, magicians, con-men, and an angry lost tommy-knocker – a magical creature who generally lives in the deep gold mines of Alaska, but has been kidnapped and brought to Rapid City. Karen and Priya are out for a night on the town, celebrating the purchase of their own little ranch and Karen’s retirement from the Hotel Ma Cherie, when they meet the Arcadia Sisters, spiritualists who unexpectedly stir up the tommy-knocker in the basement. The ensuing show could bring down the house, if Karen didn’t rush in to rescue everyone she can. Karen is back – in a 192pp Tor.com novella.Steampunk | PBK | $19.99

The Night Dahlia (Nightwise 02)Belcher, R S
Laytham Ballard once protected humanity as part of the Nightwise, a secret order of modern-day mages dedicating to holding hellish supernatural forces at bay. That was before a string of sadistic ritual murders shook everything he believed in – and sent him down a much darker path. One that has already cost him most of his soul, as well as everything he once held dear. Now, a powerful faerie mob boss has hired Ballard to find his lost-lost daughter, who went missing several years ago. The long-cold trail leads him across the globe, from the luxurious playgrounds of the rich and famous to the seedy occult underbelly of Los Angeles, where creatures of myth and legend mingle with street gangs and sex clubs, and where Ballard finds his own guilty past waiting for him around every shadowy corner. To find Caern Ankou, he will have to confront old enemies, former friends and allies, and a grisly cold case that has haunted him for years. Is Caern still alive? And, perhaps, more importantly, does she want to be found?Fantasy | TP | $29.99

Dragon Road (Drifting Lands 02)Brassey, Joseph
When portal-mage Harkon Bright and his apprentice are asked to help select a new captain for the immense skyship Iseult, they quickly find themselves embroiled in its Machiavellian officer’s court. Meanwhile, their new recruit, Elias, struggles to adapt to his unexpected gift of life while suffering dark dreams of an ancient terror. As the skies darken and storm clouds gather on the Dragon Road, the crew of the Elysium come face to face with deadly intrigues, plots from beyond death, and a terrible darkness that lurks in the heart of a thousand-year storm. A sequel to Skyfarer (PBK, $19.99).Space fantasy | PBK | $19.99

The Core (Demon Cycle 05)Brett, Peter V
For time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Then two heroes arose – men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Warded Man, tattooed head to toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat – and emerge victorious. Jardir, armed with magically warded weapons, called himself the Deliverer, a figure prophesied to unite humanity and lead them to triumph in Sharak Ka – the final war against demon-kind. But in their efforts to bring the war to the demons, Arlen and Jardir have set something in motion that may prove the end of everything they hold dear – a swarm. Now the war is at hand, and humanity cannot hope to win it unless Arlen and Jardir, with the help of Arlen’s wife, Renna, can bend a captured demon prince to their will and force the devious creature to lead them to the Core, where the Mother of Demons breeds an inexhaustible army.Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Firebrand (Green Rider 06)Britain, Kristen
Karigan has only just returned from a dark future where Sacoridia has been conquered and is ruled by a despotic emperor, and she has not recovered in heart or mind. As if that is not enough, the castle ghosts won’t leave her alone. Though Zachary is loath to part from her, so soon after her return, he knows she is the best choice to undertake the mission to the north. Each step on their journey places Karigan and her companions closer to enemy territory and danger, for northward lie the forces of Second Empire, Sacoridia’s long-time foe, and Grandmother, the necromantic leader of Second Empire, has not been idle. She uses her magic to summon a wild elemental spirit to wreak havoc upon Zachary and his wife, Queen Estora… The first in this excellent series, recommended especially for fans of Robin Hobb, is Green Rider ($22.99).Fantasy | PBK | $22.99

Tiassa (Vlad Taltos 12)Brust, Steven
Once, Vlad Taltos knew his trade: he killed people for a living. That skill got him his foothold in House Jhereg, running the rackets for a chunk of urban Adrilankha. Later things happened, leaving Vlad a changed man, on the run from the Jhereg, and frequently involved in the affairs of Dragonlords, Empresses, and even Jenoine. Far more involved than the average short-lived human. Meanwhile in the very distant past, one of the gods fashioned an artefact – a silver tiassa. To Devera the Wanderer, it’s a pretty toy to play with. To Vlad, it’s a handy prop for a con he’s running. To the Empire, it’s a tool to be used against the Jenoine. And to the Jhereg, it’s a trap to kill Vlad. As it happens, however, the silver tiassa has its own agenda.Fantasy | PBK | $19.95

RotherweirdCaldecott, Andrew
The town of Rotherweird stands alone – there are no guidebooks, despite the fascinating and diverse architectural styles cramming the narrow streets, the avant-garde science, and offbeat customs. Cast adrift from the rest of England by Elizabeth I, Rotherweird’s independence is subject to one disturbing condition: nobody, but nobody, studies the town or its history. For beneath the enchanting surface lurks a secret so dark that it must never be rediscovered, still less reused. But secrets have a way of leaking out. Two inquisitive outsiders have arrived: Jonah Oblong, to teach modern history at Rotherweird School (nothing local, and nothing before 1800), and the sinister billionaire Sir Veronal Slickstone, who has somehow got permission to renovate the town’s long-derelict Manor House. The first in a series. Totally recommended – this has a completely delightful thread of humour throughout, with some lovely Elizabethan science and magic. The sequel, Wyntertide (TP, $32.99), is due next month.Fantasy | PBK | $22.99

The Defiant Heir (Swords & Fire 02)Caruso, Melissa
Across the border, the Witch Lords are preparing for war. But before an invasion of Raverra can begin, all seventeen Witch Lords must gather to agree a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows that this conclave might be her only chance to stifle the growing flames of war. Amalia and her warlock Zaira must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have to avert the coming conflict. If they fail, it will all come down to swords and fire. The sequel to Ron’s new fave, The Tethered Mage (PBK, $19.99). Recommended!Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Owl and the Tiger Thieves (Owl 04)Charish, Kristi
Through no fault of her own, Alix has found herself essential to the fate of the world as we know it. She didn’t mean for this to happen – she was quite happy being merely the notorious antiquities thief, and ex-archaeologist, known as Owl. However, years ago, Owl reluctantly entered the secret world of the supernatural. Her goals: complete one job, escape one bounty on her head, continue her thieving in peace. Fast forward to today. Now, she has become a key player in a brutal paranormal civil war that is rapidly getting out of hand. The leader of one of these factions – a lethal opponent called the Electric Samurai – grows more powerful by the second. To stop him, Owl sets out to find the long-lost, legendary group known as the Tiger Thieves. But will it be too little too late? One thing Owl misses about ‘normal’ archaeology: there are few emergencies with thousand-year-old relics.Paranormal adventure | TP | $35.95

Everything About YouChild, Heather
Freya has a new virtual assistant. It knows what she likes, knows what she wants and knows whose voice she most needs to hear: her missing sister’s. It adopts her sister’s personality, recreating her through a life lived online. But this virtual version of her sister knows things it shouldn’t be possible to know. It’s almost as if the missing girl is still out there somewhere, feeding fresh updates into the cloud. But that’s impossible. Isn’t it?Cyberpunk | TP | $29.99

Lord of Shadows (Dark Artifices 02)Clare, Cassandra
Emma Carstairs has just learned that the love she shares with her warrior partner and parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden – it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorn family is threatened by enemies, on all sides? Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn embark on a journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky new scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.YA fantasy | PBK | $17.99

Siege (Monster Hunter 06)Correia, Larry
Go big or go home. When Monster Hunter International’s top hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, was given a tip about some hunters who had gone missing in action, he didn’t realise their rescue mission would snowball into the single biggest operation in MHI’s history. Their men are being held prisoner in a horrific nightmare dimension, and the only way to reach them is through the radioactive ruins of a monster-infested war zone. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s also the home base of the powerful creature behind the devastating attacks on the Last Dragon and Copper Lake. It turns out ancient gods of chaos really hate trespassers. But this god picked a fight with the wrong crew, and now MHI wants payback. Calling on their allies, a massive expedition is formed, and with the odds stacked against them, a legion of hunters goes to war. It’s D-Day at the City of Monsters.Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

Odysseus Ascendant (Odyssey One 07)Currie, Evan
The Empire has set its sights on its next target: human Terrans. As effective allies of the Priminae, the denizens of Earth have proven themselves enemies to the Empire, and now the Imperial forces know more about the Terran home world than ever before. The battle for the planet’s survival will see the Odysseus first into the breach. But more perils loom for Commodore Eric Weston and his comrades. They’re at odds with the political conflicts dividing Earth’s government and challenged by the mysterious presence haunting their vessel – its intentions unclear, and the extent of its powers unknown. As the Empire brings the battle home, the crew of the Odysseus will need to determine whether this entity will support them in their fight for survival, or prove to be another dangerous foe. There’s no turning back… and the only way forward may be a pathway to doom.Military SF | TP | $29.95

The Book of Swords, Parts One & Two (anthology)Dozois, Gardner (editor)
Fantasy fiction has produced some of the most unforgettable heroes ever conjured onto the page: Robert E Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone, Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Classic characters like these made sword and sorcery a cornerstone of fantasy fiction, and an inspiration for a new generation of writers, spinning their own tales of magical adventure. Now, in The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor Gardner Dozois presents an anthology of sixteen original epic stories – by a stellar cast of modern masters – on journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid adventure, featuring a stunning assortment of fearless swordsmen and warrior women who face down danger and death at every turn with courage, cunning, and cold steel. Includes stories by George R R Martin, Robin Hobb, Garth Nix, Ken Liu, Daniel Abraham, Scott Lynch, Cecelia Holland, Ellen Kushner, and more.Fantasy anthology | PBK | $19.99 each

The Queen of Sorrow (Queens of Renthia 03)Durst, Sarah Beth
Queen Daleina has yearned to bring peace and prosperity to her beloved forest home – a hope that seemed doomed when neighbouring forces invaded Aratay. Now, with the powerful Queen Naelin ruling by her side, Daleina believes that her dream of ushering in a new era can be realised, even in a land plagued by malevolent nature spirits who thirst for the end of human life. And then Naelin’s children are kidnapped by spirits. Nothing is more important to her than her family, and Naelin would rather watch the world burn than see her children harmed. Blaming the defeated Queen Merecot of Semo for the kidnapping, Naelin is ready to start a war – and has the power to do it. But Merecot has grander plans than a bloody battle with her southern neighbours. Taking the children is merely one step in a plot to change the future of all Renthia, either by ending the threat of spirits once and for all… or plunging the world into chaos. Follows The Queen of Blood (PBK, $16.99) and The Reluctant Queen (PBK, $19.95).Fantasy | HC | $39.99

1635: The Wars for the Rhine (Ring of Fire 24)Flint, Eric & Pedersen, Anette
In the year 1635, the Rhineland is in turmoil. The impact of the Ring of Fire, the cosmic accident which transported the small modern West Virginia town of Grantville to Europe in the early seventeenth century, has only aggravated a situation that was already chaotic. Perhaps nowhere in central Europe did the Thirty Years War produce so much upheaval as it did in the borderlands between France and Germany. Archbishop Ferdinand of Cologne shares the religious fanaticism of his older brother, Duke Maximilian of Bavaria. He is determined to restore the power of the Catholic Church over the middle Rhine, the so-called ‘Bishop’s Alley’, and has unleashed a plot for that purpose. But that same middle Rhine is territory which Landgrave William V of Hesse-Kassel is determined to seize for himself, under the guise of expanding the influence of the United States of Europe. Add to the witch’s brew the deaths in battle of Duke Wolfgang of Julich-Berg and his son, which leaves his young widow Katharina Charlotte as the heir to those much-prized territories. She is now on the run, in disguise – and pregnant. Add the unexpected arrival of Austria’s most capable general, Melchior von Hatzfeldt, along with the most ruthless spy and torturer in the Rhineland, Felix Gruyard. The wars for the Rhine have erupted, and only the devil knows how they will end.Alternate history | PBK | $19.95

Strange Music (Pip & Flinx 15)Foster, Alan Dean
Facing danger and doing good is their business… provided the price is right. The unexpected return of an old friend draws Flinx and Pip to the backward planet of Largess, whose seal-like denizens’ primitive technology and fractious clan politics have kept a wary Commonwealth from a profitable trade relationship. But now a rogue human employing forbidden advanced weaponry threatens to ignite a war among the Larians. And Flinx is just the man to stop it before it starts. But once on Largess, Flinx discovers that his empathic abilities – usually his greatest asset – are rendered useless by the natives’ unique language, which is sung rather than spoken. Worse, the abduction of a powerful chieftain’s daughter has raised tensions to the boiling point. Now, Flinx must depend on his own mettle – and of course Pip, the devoted minidrag with the deadly edge – to right wrongs, mend fences, and battle a cold-blooded adversary armed with enough firepower to blow them all away… and destroy the chance for peace in Largess forever. ‘Adventure-loving readers new to the series, as well as old fans, will enjoy Foster’s return to Commonwealth space.’ – Publishers Weekly.Science fiction | PBK | $19.95

The Spawn of LilithFredsti, Dana
Working in Hollywood is a living Hell. Out of the spotlight, in the darker corners of the studio backlots, Hollywood hides a remarkable secret. Actor or actress, set designer, electrician, best boy, or grip – in la-la land, it pays not to be human. Vampires, succubae, trolls, elementals, goblins – studios hire anyone and anything that can take direction, be discreet, and not eat the extras. (The less you know about your agent, the better.) Though only human, stuntwoman and struggling actress Lee Striga is a member of the legendary Katz Stunt Crew. They’re the best in the biz, in part because they can fly, and boast superhuman strength. When Lee lands a job on the movie Pale Dreamer, however, not everyone is following the script. It’s up to her to figure out who – or what – is killing the cast and crew. Especially when Lee goes from stuntwoman to lead role… and the next target.Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

The World of All Souls: A Complete Guide (companion)Harkness, Deborah; Baldwin, Claire; Halttunen, Lisa; Hough, Jill; Madden, Colleen (illustrator)
Discover the truths, the history, the myths and the magic behind the bestselling All Souls trilogy. Fall under the spell, once more, with this all-encompassing, insider’s guide to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life. The All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness – featuring historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont – delves into mythology, alchemy, literature, and architecture. And history is brought to life. With her signature historian’s touch, Deborah Harkness offers an encyclopaedic look at the series, complete with synopses, character biographies, maps, recipes, and even the science behind creatures, magic, and alchemy. Bursting with fascinating facts and original artwork, The World of All Souls is the ultimate companion for fans of the All Souls trilogy and unlocks this fantastical world, letting you in on all its secrets and mysteries.Fantasy reference | HC | $65.00

Gork, the Teenage DragonHudson, Gabe
Gork is the nerdiest dragon at WarWings Military Academy. He has a giant heart and tiny horns. His nickname is Weak Sauce. Today, before his high school graduation, he must ask a female dragon to be his queen. The result is a rollicking quest for true love on the most madcap day ever known to a high school senior – dragon, or otherwise. Along the way, Gork gets help from his best friend Fribby, a fierce female robot dragon who is brilliant, snarky, and totally obsessed with death; and Athenos II, his sentient spaceship who carries a shocking secret from his childhood. Ultimately, Gork will have to lock horns with his evil grandfather, Dr Terrible. Can a quest for true love make a hero out of a dragon?Fantasy | TP | $31.95

Dark Queen (Jane Yellowrock 12)Hunter, Faith
As Enforcer to the vampire Master of the City of New Orleans, Jane Yellowrock stakes her reputation and her life on keeping her territory safe. But Leo has been issued a blood challenge by the emperor of the European vampires, who seeks to usurp all his power and possessions. If Leo loses the match to the death, the city will be forfeit, and the people of New Orleans will suffer the consequences. Jane can’t let that happen. Preparing for the duel requires all of Jane’s focus, but with so much supernatural power in play, nothing goes according to plan. She must rely on herself and the very few people she knows she can trust to stand and fight. Only two things are guaranteed: Nothing is sacred, and no one is safe.Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

Big GunsIsrael, Steve
When American mayors start a campaign to ban handguns, Otis Cogsworth, CEO of Cogsworth International Arms worries about the effects on his company. He convinces an Arkansas congressman to introduce the ‘American Freedom from Fear Act’: a law mandating that every American must own a gun. In tiny rural Asabogue, Mayor Lois Leibowitz passes an ordinance to ban firearms. But Otis Cogsworth’s holiday mansion sits nearby. Otis orchestrates a recall election against Lois. Asabogue resident Jack Steele, a has-been action star not unlike Steven Seagal, runs against her and brings in the heavy artillery of American politics. Thousands of pro-gun militants armed to the teeth, and their opponents, descend on Asabogue. The village becomes a war zone. Meanwhile, Washington politicians and a cowardly President are caught between a mighty gun lobby and the absurdity of every American man, woman and child carrying a gun. A wild political satire of America’s insane gun laws, written by a former Democratic Congressman – who attempted to pass gun control laws.Alternate history | TP | $29.99

The Children of MenJames, P D
The year is 2021. No child has been born for twenty-five years. The human race faces extinction. Under the despotic rule of Xan Lyppiat, the Warden of England, the old are despairing and the young cruel. Theo Faren, a cousin of the Warden, lives a solitary life in this ominous atmosphere. That is, until a chance encounter with a young woman leads him into contact with a group of dissenters. Suddenly his life is changed irrevocably as he faces agonising choices which could affect the future of mankind. A new edition of P D James’ standalone dystopian novel of mass infertility and chilling mystery.Classic dystopian sf | PBK | $19.99

All Rights ReservedKatsoulis, G S
‘[A] young woman uses silence to protest a culture in which free speech has been eradicated and every word, gesture, and method of communication has been patented, copyrighted, or trademarked. Upon turning 15, Speth Jime is supposed to read a speech that will bind her to a corporate sponsor, after which she’ll be financially liable for anything she says or does. (Just saying, It’s beautiful, costs Speth’s older sister more than $10.) Instead, she refuses to speak, accidentally setting off a cultural firestorm and a low-level rebellion among her peers. Now excluded from almost everything society has to offer, she takes a secret job as a nocturnal product Placer, which provides her with access to the city’s most secure and exclusive locations and gives her a chance to strike back at the lawyers who maintain a stranglehold on communication.’ – Publisher’s Weekly.YA science fiction | PBK | $19.99

In the Eye of Heaven (Tales of Durand 01)Keck, David
Durand is simply a good squire trying to become a good knight in a harsh and unforgiving world. After fourteen years of gruelling training, Durand’s knighthood and inheritance, the lordship of a small village in his father’s duchy, seemed assured. However, Fate saw otherwise. When the long-lost son of the knight of that village unexpectedly returns, Durand must forge his own name and fortune. Disgraced sons, treacherous dukes, plots of murder, and banished monsters – what begins as a young man’s journey to self-discovery quickly turns into a quest to save the World of Man. The first novel in a new series.Fantasy | TP | $31.95

Death Doesn’t Bargain (Deadman’s Cross 02)Kenyon, Sherrilyn
The Deadmen are back… But so are the demons who have broken free of their eternal prison and are bent on mankind’s destruction. The worst of the lot is Vine, determined to claim their lives for taking hers. She will see the world burn… and has the perfect lure to destroy them all. One of their own. Kalder Dupree has never known a day of mercy. Born to the cruellest of mer-races, he sacrificed himself for his crew and is in Vine’s hands. He expects no mercy or rescue. Yet, Cameron Jack is determined to set Kalder free. As a Hellchaser, it’s her calling, and she cannot allow even a not-so innocent to be tortured for an act of kindness that spared her damnation. To defeat evil, it sometimes takes an even worse evil, and Cameron is willing to do whatever she must to make this right. If Vine thought she had her hands full, before, she hasn’t seen anything nearly as powerful as Cameron’s resolve.Paranormal romance | TP | $29.99

The Barrow Will Send What It May (Danielle Cain 02)Killjoy, Margaret
Now a nascent demon-hunting crew on the lam, Danielle and her friends arrive in a small town that contains a secret occult library run by anarchists and residents who claim to have come back from the dead. When Danielle and her crew investigate, they are put directly in the crosshairs of a necromancer’s wrath – whose actions threaten to trigger the apocalypse itself. A sequel to The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion (PBK, $22.99).Urban fantasy | PBK | $16.99

Sleeping BeautiesKing, Owen & Stephen
All around the world, something is happening to women when they fall asleep; they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed, the women become feral and spectacularly violent… In the small town of Dooling, West Virginia, the virus is spreading through a women’s prison, affecting all the inmates except one. Soon, word spreads about the mysterious Evie, who seems able to sleep – and wake. Is she a medical anomaly or a demon to be slain? The abandoned men, left to their increasingly primal devices, are fighting each other, while Dooling’s Sheriff, Lila Norcross, is just fighting to stay awake. And the sleeping women are about to open their eyes to a new world, altogether…Dystopian horror | PBK | $19.99

Lifel1k3 (Lifelike)Kristoff, Jay
On an island junkyard beneath a sky that glows with radiation, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap. Seventeen-year-old Eve isn’t looking for trouble – she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator, she spent months building, has been reduced to a smoking wreck, she’s on the local gangster’s wanted list, and the only thing keeping her grandpa alive is the money she just lost to the bookies. Worst of all, she’s discovered she can somehow destroy machines with the power of her mind, and a bunch of puritanical fanatics are building a coffin her size because of it. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it. The problem is, Eve has had a worse day – one that lingers in her nightmares and the cybernetic implant where her memories used to be. Her discovery of a handsome android named Ezekiel – called a ‘Lifelike’ because they resemble humans – will bring her world crashing down and make her question whether her entire life is a lie. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic sidekick Cricket in tow, Eve will trek across deserts of glass, battle unkillable bots, and infiltrate towering megacities to save the ones she loves… and learn the truth about the bloody secrets of her past. The first book in a new young-adult series from Australian author Kristoff.YA science fiction | TP | $19.99

The Poppy WarKuang, Rebecca
Opium runs through the heart of the Nikara Empire, a constant reminder of the war with the Federation of Mugen that brought it to the empire’s shores. A war that only ended thanks to three heroes – the Vipress, the Dragon Emperor and the Gatekeeper – known as the Trifecta. They were legendary figures, each bestowed with god-like powers, who united the warlords of the Empire against the Federation. Decades have passed. The Trifecta is shattered; the Dragon Emperor is dead, the Gatekeeper is missing, and the Vipress alone sits on the throne at Sinegard. Peace reigns, yet the poppy remains. War orphan Fang Runin grew up with it. Her adopted family smuggles it throughout the Rooster province, making a living on the misfortune of those addicted to its smoke. But when Rin’s parents force her into an arranged marriage, Rin refuses to accept her fate and fights her way to the prestigious military academy at Sinegard. There she will learn of drug-fuelled shamanic powers thought to be myth, powers which might defeat the Federation during its third invasion. But the cost of some power is too great to pay, even if it means winning a war that threatens to destroy an entire nation. A powerful epic fantasy novel with roots in the 20th-century history of China.Fantasy | TP | $29.99

In the Region of the Summer Stars (Eirlandia 01)Lawhead, Stephen R
Ravaged by barbarian Scálda forces, the last hope for Eirlandia lies with the island’s warring tribes. Wrongly cast out of his tribe, Conor, the firstborn son of the Celtic king, embarks on a dangerous mission to prove his innocence. What he discovers will change Eirlandia forever. For the Scálda have captured the mystical Fae to use as an ultimate weapon. And Conor’s own people have joined in the invasion. The first in a new series by the author of the Pendragon Cycle.Celtic fantasy | HC | $47.95

Summer Dragon (Evertide 01)Lockwood, Todd
Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she hopes for a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. But the war goes badly, and the needs of the Dragonry dash her hopes. Her peaceful life is shattered, when the Summer Dragon – one of the rare and mythical High Dragons – makes an appearance in her quiet valley.Fantasy | PBK | $19.95

The White RoadLotz, Sarah
Adrenaline-junkie Simon Newman sneaks onto private land to explore a dangerous cave in Wales with a strange man he’s met online. But Simon gets more than he bargained for when the expedition goes horribly wrong. Simon emerges, the only survivor, after a storm traps the two in the cave. Simon thinks he’s had a lucky escape…Horror | PBK | $19.99

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses 04)Maas, Sarah J
Feyre, Rhys, and their companions are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet, even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated – scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court. Follows A Court of Thorns and Roses (PBK, $16.99), A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin (PBK, $17.99 each).YA fantasy | HC/PBK | $22.99/$16.99

Blood Enemies (Under Jurisdiction 07)Matthews, Susan R
Andrej Koscuisko is a former Fleet Medical Officer for the enormous totalitarian star empire, the Jurisdiction. But when he served in the Fleet, Andrej’s real job was not medicine, at least not primarily medicine, but to act as a torturer of prisoners, whether they had information to give or not. To help him in his duties, Andrej was attended by ‘bond involuntaries’ – slaves – men he’d come to look upon as friends and family. Finally, enough was enough. Andrej absconded with six of his Fleet-provided security slaves and sent them into the no-man’s land of Gonebeyond Space – beyond the reach of the Jurisdiction’s tyrannical Bench. Now, the Angel of Destruction, a savage terrorist organisation from Andrej’s system of origin, means to make Gonebeyond its own. But its ancestral enemy – the secret service of the Dolgorukij church, the Malcontent – has planted a double agent on the inside of the Angel of Destruction. Finally, this interstellar menace might be destroyed forever…Space opera | PBK | $19.95

Blackfish CityMiller, Sam J
After the climate wars, a floating city was constructed in the Arctic Circle. Once a remarkable feat of mechanical and social engineering it is now rife with corruption and the population simmers with unrest. Into this turmoil comes a strange new visitor – a woman accompanied by an orca and a chained polar bear. She disappears into the crowds looking for someone she lost thirty years ago, followed by whispers of a vanished people who could bond with animals. Her arrival draws together four people and sparks a chain of events that will change Blackfish City forever. ‘Blackfish City is a place you might never want to live in – but as a reader, you won’t want to leave…’ – Adam Sternbergh, author of The Blinds.Science fiction | TP | $29.99

The Philosopher’s FlightMiller, Tom
Eighteen-year-old Robert Weekes is a practitioner of empirical philosophy – an arcane, female-dominated branch of science used to summon the wind, shape clouds of smoke, heal the injured, and even fly. Though he dreams of fighting in the Great War as the first male in the elite US Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service – a team of flying medics – Robert is resigned to mixing batches of philosophical chemicals and keeping the books for the family business in rural Montana, where his mother, a former soldier and vigilante, aids the locals. When a deadly accident puts his philosophical abilities to the test, Robert rises to the occasion and wins a scholarship to study at Radcliffe College, an all-women’s school. At Radcliffe, Robert hones his skills and strives to win the respect of his classmates, a host of formidable, unruly women. Robert falls hard for Danielle Hardin, a disillusioned young war hero turned political radical. However, Danielle’s activism and Robert’s recklessness attract the attention of the same fanatical anti-philosophical group that Robert’s mother fought years before. With their lives in mounting danger, Robert and Danielle band together with a team of unlikely heroes to fight for Robert’s place among the next generation of empirical philosophers – and for philosophy’s very survival against the men who would destroy it.Historical fantasy | TP | $29.99

Assassin’s Price (Imager Portfolio 11)Modesitt Jr, L E
Six years have passed since the failed uprising of the High Holders, and the man behind the conspiracy is where the rex and Maître Alastar can keep an eye on him. Charyn has come of age and desperately wants to learn more so that he can become an effective rex after his father – but he’s kept at a distance by the rex. So, Charyn sets out to educate himself – circumspectly. When Jarolian privateers disrupt Solidar’s shipping, someone attempts to kill Charyn’s younger brother as an act of protest. Threatening notes follow in the wake of acts of violence against the rex and his family, demanding action – build more ships or expect someone to die.Fantasy | PBK | $22.95

A Secret History of WitchesMorgan, Louisa
From early 19th century Brittany to London during the Second World War, five generations of witches fight the battles of their time, deciding how far they are willing to go to protect their family, their heritage, and ultimately, all of our futures. After Grand-maere Ursule gives her life to save her tribe, her magic seems to die, with her. Even so, her family keeps the Old Faith, practicing the spells and rites that have been handed from mother to daughter for generations. Until one day, Ursule’s young granddaughter steps into the circle, and magic flows anew…Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Men Without WomenMurakami, Haruki
Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone.Collection | PBK | $19.99

ReleaseNess, Patrick
Today will change Adam Thorn’s life. Between his religious family, unpleasant boss and his ex-boyfriend, the bindings of his world are coming undone. And way across town, a ghost has risen from the lake.YA fantasy | PBK | $16.99

Before Mars (Planetfall 03)Newman, Emma
After months of travel, Anna Kubrin finally arrives on Mars, for her new job as a geologist and de facto artist-in-residence. Already she feels like she is losing the connection with her husband and baby at home on Earth – and she’ll be on Mars for over a year. Throwing herself into her work, she tries her best to fit in with the team. But in her new room on the base, Anna finds a mysterious note written in her own handwriting, warning her not to trust the colony psychologist. A note she can’t remember writing. She unpacks her wedding ring, only to find it has been replaced by a fake. Finding a footprint in a place the colony AI claims has never been visited by humans, Anna begins to suspect that her assignment isn’t as simple as she was led to believe. Is she caught up in an elaborate corporate conspiracy, or is she actually losing her mind? Regardless of what horrors she might discover, or what they might do to her sanity, Anna has find the truth before her own mind destroys her. A sequel to Planetfall and After Atlas (PBK, $22.99 each).Science fiction | PBK | $32.99

WhisperNoni, Lynette
For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes… Subject Six-Eight-Four, ‘Jane Doe’, has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word. Life at Lengard follows a strict, torturous routine that has never changed. Until now. When Jane is assigned a new – and unexpectedly kind – evaluator, her resolve begins to crack, despite her best efforts. As she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, Jane discovers that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot… And one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.Science fiction | PBK | $19.99

Who Fears DeathOkorafor, Nnedi
In a post-apocalyptic Africa, the world has changed in many ways; yet in one region genocide between tribes still bloodies the land. A woman – who has survived the annihilation of her village, and a terrible rape by an enemy general – wanders into the desert, hoping to die. Instead, she gives birth to an angry baby girl with hair and skin the colour of sand. Gripped by the certainty that her daughter is different – special – she names her Onyesonwu, which means ‘Who fears death?’ in an ancient language. It doesn’t take long for Onye to understand that she is physically and socially marked by the circumstances of her conception. She is Ewu – a child of rape… who is expected to live a life of violence, a half-breed rejected by her community. But Onye is not the average Ewu. Even as a child, she manifests the beginnings of a remarkable and unique magic. As she grows, so do her abilities, and during an inadvertent visit to the spirit realm, she learns something terrifying: someone powerful is trying to kill her. Desperate to elude her would-be murderer and to understand her own nature, she embarks on a journey in which she grapples with nature, tradition, history, true love, and the spiritual mysteries of her culture, and ultimately learns why she was given the name she bears: Who Fears Death. A World Fantasy Award-winning novel of a remarkable woman in post-apocalyptic Africa; now optioned as a TV series for HBO. A reissue of a brilliant novel – recommended!Post-apocalyptic | TP | $27.99

Stiletto (Chequy Files 02)O’Malley, Daniel
After years of enmity and bloodshed, two secret organisations with otherworldly abilities must merge, and there is only one person with the fearsome powers – and bureaucratic finesse – to get the job done. Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between deadly rivals, the Checquy – a centuries-old covert British organisation that protects society from supernatural threats; and the Grafters – a centuries-old supernatural threat. But as bizarre attacks sweep London, threatening to sabotage negotiations, old hatreds flare. Only Myfanwy – and two women, who detest each other – can seek out the culprits, before they trigger a devastating, otherworldly war. The long-awaited, oft-delayed sequel to the award-winning The Rook (PBK, $19.99), which we all love; now in paperback. Totally recommended!Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Reaping the Aurora (Ley 03)Palmatier, Joshua
Wielder Kara Tremain and Allan Garrett have seized control of the new Nexus – the hub of magical power for Tumbor city – created by the White Cloak cult at the Needle, taking their leader prisoner. Kara intends to use the Needle’s Nexus to heal the distortion over the city, allowing the ley network to stabilise. But the distortion here is huge, and Kara will need the help of all of the Wielders at the Needle, including the White Cloaks. Can she trust them, or will they betray her, possibly destroying any chance of healing the ley network altogether? Meanwhile, Allan journeys back to their home city, hoping to form alliances with survivors of the disaster there, only to discover that Erenthrall itself has sunk into the ground and the vicious groups left there have banded together in an even more hostile faction. They attack while Allan is treating with the eastern Temerite enclave, forcing Allan and the Temerites to flee back to the Needle and abandon Erenthrall. But the Needle is no safe haven. The White Cloaks have begun fomenting unrest, all of it targeted at Kara and the Wielders. The tensions escalate beyond control when their leader declares he’s had a vision – a vision predicting the annihilation of reality itself! Completing the trilogy after Shattering the Ley and Threading the Needle (PBK, $19.95 each).Fantasy | PBK | $19.95

Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff (novella)Penn, Sean
Bob Honey has a hard time connecting with other people. He dreams he is sleeping with his ex-wife every night, and imagines waking up unhappy next to her every morning. Advertising, entertainment, and commerce rule his days; he’s sick of being marketed to every moment, but is unable to pry himself away from the constant feed. A paragon of American entrepreneurialism, Bob sells septic tanks to Jehovah’s Witnesses and arranges colourful pyrotechnic displays for foreign dictators. He’s also a part-time assassin for an off-the-books program run by the CIA that targets the elderly, the infirm, and others who drain this consumption-driven society of its resources. When a nosy journalist starts asking questions, Bob can’t decide if it’s a chance to form some sort of new friendship or if it’s the beginning of the end for him. With treason on everyone’s lips, terrorism in everyone’s sights, and American political life racing to ever-lower standards, Bob decides it’s time to make a change. If he doesn’t get killed by his mysterious controllers or exposed in the rapacious media, first.Speculative fiction | HC | $39.99

The Dark NetPercy, Benjamin
The Dark Net is real. An anonymous and often criminal arena that exists in the secret far reaches of the Web, some use it to manage Bitcoins, pirate movies and music, or traffic in drugs and stolen goods. And, now, an ancient darkness is gathering there as well. This force is threatening to spread virally into the real world unless it can be stopped by members of a ragtag crew: Twelve-year-old Hannah – who has been fitted with the Mirage, a high-tech visual prosthetic to combat her blindness – wonders why she sees shadows surrounding some people. Lela, a technophobic journalist, has stumbled upon a story nobody wants her to uncover. Mike Juniper, a one-time child evangelist who suffers from personal and literal demons, has an arsenal of weapons stored in the basement of the homeless shelter he runs. And Derek, a hacker with a cause, believes himself a soldier of the Internet, part of a cyber army akin to Anonymous. They have no idea what the Dark Net really contains.Horror | PBK | $19.99

From Distant Stars (Darkest Skies 02)Peters, Sam
Inspector Keon has finally got over the death of his wife, Alysha, in a terrorist attack five years ago. The illegal AI copy of her – Liss – that he created to help him mourn has vanished, presumed destroyed. His life is back on track. But a deadly shooting in a police-guarded room in a high-security hospital threatens to ruin everything. Who got past the defences? Why did they kill the seemingly unimportant military officer who had been in a coma for weeks? And why did the scanners pick up the deceased man the next day on the other side of the planet, seemingly alive and well? As Keon digs into the mysteries, he begins to realise that the death was connected to a mysterious object, potentially alien, discovered buried in ice under the North Pole. Someone has worked out what is hidden there and what its discovery will mean for mankind. Someone who is willing to kill. And another player has entered the game. Someone who seems to know more about Keon than is possible. Someone, who might be using Liss’ information against him… or, who might be Alysha, back from the dead. The sequel to From Darkest Skies (PBK, $19.99).SF thriller | TP | $32.99

Genome (Extinction Files 02)Riddle, A G
The X1 pandemic ravaged the world. Billions were infected, 30 million died. It was not an act of nature. X1 was manmade, a deadly plague deliberately released for one reason only: to force people to take the cure. But the cure is worse than the disease, a sophisticated nanotechnology that has the potential to enslave all humanity unless Dr Peyton Shaw can stop it. Dr Shaw’s search for the culprits and a countermeasure starts at the ends of the Earth, on a sunken submarine beneath the Arctic ice. It will take her deep into humanity’s past, towards an ancient secret encoded in our DNA, and a revelation that will rewrite history… A sequel to Pandemic (TP, $29.99).Science fiction thriller | TP | $29.99

Brooklyn House Magician’s Manual (Kane Chronicles)Riordan, Rick
What good is power, without knowing how to use it? That’s where this training manual comes in. It’s packed with quizzes, stories and inside info on the Ancient Egyptian deities. For those with the blood of the pharaohs, this is your first step down the path of the gods. But beware, anything can happen in the world of Egyptian magic… Forming a trio with Hotel Valhalla and Camp Half-Blood Confidential (PBK, $17.99 each), this companion guide gives readers the inside scoop on Brooklyn House – the safe haven in New York, for magicians like Carter and Sadie Kane.YA fantasy companion | HC | $19.99

Dark Prophecy (Trials of Apollo 02)Riordan, Rick
The god Apollo, cast down to earth and trapped in the form of a gawky teenage boy as punishment, must set off on the second of his harrowing (and hilarious) trials. He and his companions seek the ancient oracles – restoring them is the only way for Apollo to reclaim his place on Mount Olympus – but this is easier said than done. Somewhere in the American Midwest is a haunted cave that may hold answers for Apollo in his quest to become a god again… if it doesn’t kill him or drive him insane, first. Standing in Apollo’s way is the second member of the evil Triumvirate – a Roman emperor whose love of bloodshed and spectacle makes even Nero look tame. To survive the encounter, Apollo will need the help of a now-mortal goddess, a bronze dragon, and some familiar demigod faces from Camp Half-Blood. With them by his side, can Apollo face down the greatest challenge of his 4,000 years of existence?Fantasy | PBK | $17.99

The Burning Maze (Trials of Apollo 03)Riordan, Rick
The formerly-glorious god Apollo, cast down to earth in punishment by Zeus, is now an awkward mortal teenager, named Lester Papadopoulos. In order to regain his place on Mount Olympus, Lester must restore five Oracles that have gone dark. But he must achieve this impossible task, without having any godly powers, and while being duty bound to a confounding young daughter of Demeter named Meg. Thanks a lot, Dad. With the help of some demigod friends, Lester managed to survive his first two trials, one at Camp Half-Blood, and one in Indianapolis, where Meg received the Dark Prophecy. The words she uttered while seated on the Throne of Memory revealed that an evil triumvirate of Roman emperors plans to attack Camp Jupiter. While Leo flies ahead on Festus to warn the Roman camp, Lester and Meg must go through the Labyrinth to find the third emperor – and an Oracle who speaks in word puzzles – somewhere in the American Southwest. There is one glimmer of hope in the gloom-filled prophecy: The cloven guide alone the way does know. They will have a satyr companion, and Meg knows just who to call upon…Fantasy | TP | $22.99

Moontide and Magic Rise (omnibus)Russell, Sean
An omnibus edition collecting: World Without End and Sea Without A Shore. Tristam is summoned to the royal court of Farrland to try to revitalise a failing species of plant which seems to have mysterious, almost magical, medicinal properties. But he soon realises he has been drawn into the heart of a political struggle which spans generations. Recommended for fans of epic fantasy.Fantasy | TP | $39.95

Season of Storms (Witcher 06)Sapkowski, Andrzej
Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher, one of the few capable of hunting the monsters that prey on humanity. A mutant who is tasked with killing unnatural beings. He uses magical signs, potions, and the pride of every Witcher – two swords, steel, and silver. But a contract has gone wrong, and Geralt finds himself without his signature weapons. Now he needs them back, because sorcerers are scheming, and across the world clouds are gathering. The season of storms is coming… A new novel set in the early days of the Witcher saga.Fantasy | TP | $32.99

The Sisters MederosSarath, Patrice
House Mederos was once the wealthiest merchant family in Port Saint Frey. Now the family is disgraced, impoverished, and humbled by the powerful Merchants Guild. Daughters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are determined to uncover who was behind their family’s downfall and get revenge. But Tesara has a secret – could it have been her wild magic that caused the storm that destroyed the family’s merchant fleet? The sisters’ schemes quickly get out of hand – gambling is one thing, but robbing people is another… Together, the sisters must trust each another to keep their secrets and save their family.Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

The Beast’s HeartShallcross, Leife
I am neither monster nor man – yet, I am both. I am the Beast. I know why I was cursed; I know the legacy of evil I carry in my tainted blood. So how could she ever love me? My Isabeau. She opened my eyes, my mind and my heart when I was struggling just to be human. And now I might lose her forever. A richly-magical retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, from the point of view of the Beast. Leife Shallcross is an Aurealis Award winner from Canberra, this is her debut novel.Retold fairy tales | TP | $19.99

Kris Longknife’s SuccessorShepherd, Mike
This is the third book with Grand Admiral Sandy Santiago serving as Kris Longknife’s Relief, then Replacement, and now Successor, on Alwa. She has all the challenges a gal could ask for. Granny Rita is on the rampage, and the cats have gone on strike. Leaving the Colonials to deal with Granny Rita, Sandy heads off to work with the cats, only to discover she is not the only one who has a bone to pick with them – alien monsters have a vendetta as well! Sandy has to work to find a way of peace among the Alwans, feisty cats, and a new alien race.Science fiction | TP | $29.95

Corpselight (Verity Fassbinder 02)Slatter, Angela
Life in Brisbane is never simple, for those who walk between the worlds. Susan Beckett’s made insurance claims, for ‘Unusual Happenstance’, three times in three months. Her house keeps getting inundated with mud, but she’s still insisting she doesn’t need or want help… until the dry-land drownings begin. Verity’s first lead takes her to Chinatown, where she is confronted by kitsune assassins. But when she suddenly goes into labour, it’s clear the fox spirits are not going to be helpful. ‘Edgy, hilarious and full of heart – Verity is back and as brilliant as ever!’ – Alison Goodman. A sequel to Verity’s first Brisneyland adventure: Vigil (PBK, $22.99); now in paperback. We all love these, by the way! Signed copies of both are available.Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.99

The Black Wolves of BostonSpencer, Wen
Silas Decker had his world destroyed when he was attacked, by vampires, outside of New Amsterdam. He has rebuilt his life a dozen times in the last three hundred years – each time, less and less successfully. Now, he lives alone, buried under a hoarding habit, struggling to find some reason to wake up with the setting of the sun. Eloise is a Virtue, pledged to hunting evil. What she doesn’t know is how to live alone in a city full of strangers who know nothing about monsters. Seth is the sixteen-year-old Prince of Boston, ward of the Wolf King. Now he is left in a city that desperately needs his protection with enemies gathering all around. Joshua believes he is a normal, college-bound high school senior. His life is shattered when he wakes up in a field, covered with blood, and the prom committee scattered in pieces about him like broken dolls. These four must, now, come together to unravel a plot by Wickers, witches who gain power from human sacrifices and have the power to turn any human into their puppet. Four people – who lost everything – struggle to save Boston… by saving each other. The first in a new series.Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

The Hyena and the Hawk (Echoes of the Fall 03)Tchaikovsky, Adrian
On the plains, the warriors and the wise of all tribes gather to confront the aggressor. Loud Thunder leads his great war-host south, even as Tecumet and Asman head north with the Sun River army. With Maniye Many Tracks, they plan to forge a new unity between the tribes such as the world has never seen. But will it be enough to stave off an oblivion that might devour even their gods? Their adversary’s presence is like a wound in the world, and wakes all the old terrors and evils from the peoples’ stories. But before they can deal with the enemies without, they must conquer their demons within. The thrilling conclusion to the trilogy, following The Tiger and the Wolf and The Bear and the Serpent (PBK, $19.99 each).Fantasy | TP | $29.99

Beren and LúthienTolkien, J R R
The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J R R Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme, at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year. Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings, Melkor, called Morgoth, the Black Enemy, of a Silmaril. Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts and presented for the first time, as a fully continuous and standalone story; now in paperback.Tolkien | PBK | $19.99

The Southern Reach Trilogy (collector’s edition)VanderMeer, Jeff
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades, explored only in a series of expeditions dispatched by a secret government agency called the Southern Reach. So far, these expeditions have returned – when they have returned – with more questions than answers. The first group came back with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the members of the eleventh expedition returned but soon all died of cancer. At the beginning of the Southern Reach Trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition: four female scientists prepared to map the terrain, to document and analyse samples. But once they cross into Area X it becomes apparent that the rules of nature as they understand them do not apply. Back at headquarters, the Southern Reach itself falls into disarray, its arcane bureaucracy and obsessive secrecy collapsing into paranoia and paralysis. Those tasked with understanding and controlling Area X seem doomed to respond only with irrational, desperate measures. Is it possible that one last mission across the border can save them? Together for the first time in one volume, the three celebrated novels of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy – Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance – tell an exhilarating, disturbing, and all but unbearably suspenseful story of humanity engaged in what might be an existential confrontation with nature. It is destined to become a classic of its kind. Annihilation is now a major motion picture written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina) and starring Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson.Science fiction | HC | $49.99

Echoes of Honor (Honor Harrington 08) (limited leatherbound edition)Weber, David
For eight years, Commodore Honor Harrington has been in the forefront of the battle between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the vastly more powerful People’s Republic of Haven. Now, Honor has fallen, captured by the Peep Navy.Space opera | HC | $68.95

The Infernal Battalion (Shadow Campaigns 05)Wexler, Django
The Beast, imprisoned beneath the fortress-city of Elysium for a thousand years, has been loosed upon the world. Military might and arcane power clash in the conclusion to the Shadow Campaigns. Following The Thousand Names, The Shadow Throne, The Price of Valor (PBK, $22.99 each), and The Guns of Empire (PBK, $19.99). Highly recommended!Flintlock fantasy | HC | $39.99

Void Black Shadow (Voidwitch Saga 02)White, Corey J
The last time MEPHISTO came for Mars Xi, they took one of her friends with them. That was a mistake. A force hasn’t been invented that can stop a voidwitch on a rampage, and Mars won’t rest until she’s settled her debts. This 224pp Tor.com novella, from a former Brisbanite, is the sequel to the hugely-popular Killing Gravity… which we love!Space opera | PBK | $18.99

Oblivion (Starfire 08)White, Steve & Gannon, Charles E
The war with the profoundly alien Arduans has ended, and the Arduans have come to call humanity their allies. Most of them – the Arduan warrior caste refuses to accept defeat. Now known as the Kaituni, they are waging a war of extermination against all members of the pan-Sentient Union, human and Arduan alike. What’s more, the Kaituni have an unexpected weapon in their arsenal: the alien Arachnids, once thought driven to extinction. The Kaituni drive the Arachnid fleet ahead of them, inflicting untold damage. The war has been marked by retreat on the side of the pan-Sentient Union. It seems the best they can do is minimise their losses. But now the Arachnids and the Kaituni are at the doorstep to the Heart Worlds, Sol, and Earth: Alpha Centauri. The odds look bleak. But Admiral Ian Trevayne and Commodore Ossian Wethermere have faced down long odds in the past. It’s time to take a stand, for Earth, for humanity. And for the pan-Sentient Union!Military SF | TP | $31.95

The Witchwood Crown (Last King of Osten Ard 01)Williams, Tad
Thirty years ago, Ineluki, the Storm King, was destroyed and his armies scattered. Osten Ard has been at peace ever since, ruled by Simon Snowlock, kitchen boy made king, and Miriamele, King Elias’ only child. But now age weighs upon their reign. Simon’s dreams have deserted him, old allies die, and betrayal and assassination threaten. His son and heir, John Josua, is years dead and his grandson, Morgan, is a wastrel. A journey of redemption and discovery beckons in the darkening world.Fantasy | PBK | $22.99

Pawn (Sibyl’s War 01)Zahn, Timothy
Nicole Lee’s life is going nowhere. No family, no money, and stuck in a relationship with a thug named Bungie. But, after one of Bungie’s ‘deals’ goes south, he and Nicole are whisked away by a mysterious moth-like humanoid to a strange ship called the Fyrantha. Once aboard, life on the ship seems too good to be true. All she has to do is work on one of the ship’s many maintenance crews. However, she learned long ago that nothing comes without a catch. When she’s told to keep quiet and stop asking questions, she knows she is on to something. Nicole soon discovers that many different factions are vying for control of the Fyrantha, and she and her friends are merely pawns in a game beyond their control. But, she is tired of being used, and now Nicole is going to fight. The first volume in a new trilogy.Space opera | PBK | $19.95